The World Turned Upside Down
by CAVALRYMAN1863
Summary: As the Siege of Yorktown continues, there are two Redoubts that keep the American and French from moving their cannons closer to finish Gen Cornwallis, will young Colonel Alexander Hamilton be able to help.


The Battle of Yorktown, 1781.

General George Washington's Army had marched more than 400 miles from New York to a small town called Yorktown in Virginia, he and General Rochambeau of the French Army, had a plan to trap General Cornwallis and his army there by land and sea with the assistance of Admiral De Grasse's French Fleet cutting off the British Navy from saving Cornwallis.

Both the American and the French and dug trenches around Yorktown to position their cannons to rain hell on the British defences, they immediately ran to the defences surrounding the town, except for a Redoubt to the west with British Fusiliers, and Redoubts 9 and 10 to the east. Gen Washington was talking with some of his subordinate officers under a tree outside of Yorktown while the cannons fired on the town, but one man he spoke too was his Chief of Artillery, Henry Knox.

Gen Washington: "These Redoubts are keeping us from moving forward and firing into the British behind their defences Henry."

Gen Knox: "We can focus our fire and have them abandon those positions in a few days and-"

Gen Washington: "We don't have a few days Henry, De Grasse's fleet will soon have to leave to protect the West Indies, we'll have to take those positions by force. Have Lafayette come speak with me at his earliest convenience.

Another man with Washington was his Aide-de-Camp, LtCol Alexander Hamilton, he had been his aid since after the battle of Trenton in New Jersey in the winter of 1776-77, since then, he had constantly pressed the General for a Field Command, but always got the same answer. 'We need you alive.' He wanted a command of his own, but he also wanted to be able to go home and see his Wife Eliza, and the son they were both expecting.

Lafayette: "Monsieur Hamilton." Col Hamilton turned to see his French friend walk over to him.

Col Hamilton: "Monsieur Lafayette." They both shook hands.

Lafayette: "I've just seen General Washington, he wants to see you, I think this is finally the chance you have been waiting for." Without a second thought, Hamilton grabbed his hat and ran to the General's tent.

Col Hamilton (Saluting): "You sent for me sir?" General Washington turned around and looked at his Right Hand Man and sighed, he returned the salute spoke to his smiling Aide.

Gen Washington: "Alexander, I have thought about this long and hard, and I have made up my mind." Alexander nodded. "I will give you 400 light Infantry to assault Redoubt #10, Lafayette will be the commander of the entire assault along the line, but you lead the attack on that redoubt, and you take it." Alexander nodded and saluted his Commander-in-Chief.

Col Hamilton: "I promise you sir, I won't let you down." He saluted the General and the General returned it, he walked out of the tent and found Lafayette waiting outside.

Lafayette: "Well, now you'll be in the field where you belong." Col Hamilton chuckled.

Col Hamilton: "How do I say, 'no sweat' by the way my friend, what will you do when this is over."

Lafayette: "I go back to France, I bring freedom to my people if I am given the chance." Alexander smiled.

Col Hamilton: "Well, we'll be with you when you do."

Lafayette: "Till we meet again my friend." The two shook hands and parted ways, Lafayette headed to the Chesapeake Bay, and Hamilton went to find his command in the Trenches. He again thought of his friends, Laurens was in South Carolina redefining bravery, and Lafayette going to Chesapeake Bay after they drive the British away, and his wife back home with their son.

 _Later that Evening_

Col Hamilton was giving a final set of instructions to themen he would lead on the assault of the Redoubt.

Col Hamilton: "Remember men, take the bullets out of your muskets."

Private: "Why sir?"

Col Hamilton: "We need to move under the cover of night and we move as one, we have one shot at this men, we cannot let a stray gunshot give us away before we can assault the redoubt, understood?"

The men: "Yes Sir."

Col Hamilton: "Now I know you men have families and want to get back to them, with this attack, we'll have that chance, that or we'll meet the business end of a bayonet."

Sergeant: "Sir, if I may ask, what if one of us gets separated from the rest of the battalion?"

Col Hamilton: "We will challenge them with and ask for a code word, that word is Rochambeau, understood?"

The Men: "Rochambeau." Alexander smiled at that response.

Col Hamilton: "You have your orders men, now get to your companies." The men quickly ran back over to their companies, behind the Colonel, before he gave the order to move forward, he started to think. A lot was riding on this attack, what if they had too few troops, but then he remembered where the information of the defences came from, his friend Hercules Mulligan, a member of the Sons of Liberty, and hasn't failed them yet, and never will. He turned to his men and pulled out his sword.

Col Hamilton (Loud Whisper): "Fix, Bayonets!" The men pulled out their bayonets from their scabbards and put them on the ends of their muskets, Alexander got out of the trench leading the men into the open field, the American troops moved quickly and quietly across open ground, were at any moment, the british could fire grapeshot from their cannons and completely decimate the american battalion, but luck was on their side.

Pioneers followed the Light Infantry, in order to cut the Abatis and were the first obstacle to taking the position, they men advanced as silently as possible, they ran up to the very edge of the redoubt. The men loaded their muskets as the Pioneers cut the Abitis, but as the Pioneers cut the first two spikes, a British Sentry saw the American soldiers.

British Sentry: "ALERT!" He fired a shot in the air, but just as he did that, one American shot the Sentry in the middle of the chest, but now the British garrison manning the redoubt had been alerted to the American presence.

Col Hamilton: "FORWARD!" THe men rushed through the hole that the Pioneers made, but the British were already turning out with loaded Muskets, firing on the Americans as they poured through the hole, it didn't take long for the fighting to become hand to hand.

Alexander slashed his sword at a Redcoat attempting to stab him with his bayonet, but the Colonel blocked it and slashed the Redcoat across the face. One man was about to get stabbed by a British soldier when another American lunged at the Lobster-Back and beat his head in with a large stick. One officer ran over to Hamilton with his sword over his head shouting.

British Officer: "WE SURRENDER, WE SURRENDER!" Hamilton looked around to see that the American and British troops were still fighting hand to hand.

Col Hamilton: "STOP, STOP, THE BRITISH HAVE SURRENDERED, THE BRITISH HAVE SURRENDERED!" The men turned to look at their commanding officer, and soon started to cheer and throw their hats into the air with glee, while the British hung their heads in shame.

 _A Few Days Later_

The British had surrendered, they marched in between the the lines of the both the American Continental Army under Washington on their left, and the French Army under Rochambeau on their right, they threw their guns down on the ground and marched in shame, as they were defeated by a inferior military, but they were defeated. Gen Cornwallis was ashamed to have to surrender, so he sent his second in command Charles O'Hara to give his sword to Washington, as the fallen enemy marched giving up their guns, Gen Washington smiled, the war was finally won, and if it wasn't for the plucky young Colonel who led the attack on Redoubt #10, then the war would have dragged on longer.


End file.
